May 24, 2023Indie Highlight
Big Farm Story is a charming farming simulator where you can customize your character and escape the hustle and bustle of city life to Grandpa’s beautiful farm. However, when you arrive, you find that the buildings are crumbling, the fields are overgrown, and Grandpa is nowhere to be found. You take it upon yourself to search for him, but in the meantime, you can start building the farm of your dreams!
Work hard to rebuild the derelict farm and harvest a variety of crops. Restore the chicken coop and befriend some chickens. Renovate the barn to get cows, llamas, and goats. You’ll even get to have adorable little ducks! Play with your cute farm friends, as well as the fluffy little dog companion who will follow you everywhere you go.
Refurbish the farmhouse with fun decorations, paints, and different flooring options. Make it into your dream home. Take some time to get to know the friendly residents in the nearby village too. Complete tasks for them using items you’ve harvested from the farm, resources you’ve collected around the map, and items you’ve crafted from materials you have. Each NPC has a unique personality and exciting stories to share with you.
Don’t forget to go collect mushrooms, fish, or cook meals too. Big Farm Story offers quite a bit of fun options to fill your days! And if that’s not enough, you can meet up on your friend’s farm to help them out. Or, play local co-op with a friend where one of you controls the game’s character and one controls the little dog companion.
The adorable Big Farm Story is currently available on Steam. It’s also 30% off until May 29th. It also has 5 different DLC packs available, which are also on sale right now!
Want more cute farming sims? Checkout Roots of Pacha, Wylde Flowers, or Fields of Mistria!
Apr 19, 2022Indie Highlight
The developers have been hard at work since announcing My Time at Sandrock in 2020 with a new town, new characters, new construction options, new combat system, and even a multiplayer mode!
Before launching into Early Access, many updates have been recently added such as new quests, new monsters, and new NPCs. The biggest one that caught my eye is the advanced workshop customization. Unlike its predecessor, when building your workshop in this game you can place doors and windows, and even the roof yourself! Furthermore, add lights and many other decorations to the interior and exterior.
My Time at Sandrock, developed by Pathea Games, will officially release on May 26th, 2022 in Early Access on Steam here and the Epic Games Store here at $24.99 US. If you’re a Kickstarter backer, you’ll have access to the closed Beta version very soon! There’s no news on the console versions as of yet but we’ll know more after the tests! If you want to try your hands at a demo, My Time at Sandrock will have a booth at the PAX East convention on April 21st-24th, 2022, so check that out here.
Fan of both relaxing farming and engaging combat? If you’re interest in My Time at Sandrock, you should definitely check out Rune Factory 5 now!
Jul 18, 2020Feature
Garden Story is an upcoming social sim adventure RPG. With an emphasis on helping the residents of a broken island, this game is undoubtedly wholesome. The game is being developed by Picogram and published by Rose City Games and VIZ Media.
The planned release window for the game is currently Spring 2020, although no official date has been given. The game will be released for Microsoft Windows, MacOS and Macintosh operating systems. An official price is yet to be announced.
Players assume the role of Concord, who is a recently appointed village guardian. However, you will definitely be kept on your toes. Whether it be neighbours requiring assistance, or the sudden appearance of a strange rot that has seeped into the foundations of the once thriving island, Concord has his work cut out. Fortunately, he is not alone.
If you help friends with their problems, they’ll help you with yours. Care for the environment, explore new regions, solve puzzles, make new friends, and ultimately, help restore the grove to its former glory.
You can visit the game’s website here. Alternatively, you can check out their Twitter account here.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an upcoming social simulation game where you play as a human character living on a deserted island amongst anthropomorphic animals. Players can shop, socialise with the animals, and participate in activites such as fishing, catching bugs, gardening and decorating. Nintendo are both the developers and publishers of the game. Therefore it’s understandable that the game will only be released on Nintendo Switch. The game is set to release on March 20th 2020, and will retail for $59.99
Tom Nook is ‘switching’ things up with a new business venture. This business venture is his exclusive Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package. Naturally, the Tanuki isn’t offering this for free. When you have landed on the island, you also find yourself landed with debt (yet again) by the tiresome tanuki.
Like in previous games of the franchise, players can participate in activities such as gardening, fishing, decorating, and interacting with a variety of NPCs (both old and new), etc. However, the game will also offer some new features. Examples include, collecting resources, crafting furniture and tools, new ways to interact with trees and flowers, more diversity in skin tones, outdoor stair, more multiplayer options, the handy ability to pole vault rivers etc.
Then of course there’s the tiny details that Animal Crossing fans quickly picked up on. These include, shirts with sleeves for villagers, overally realistic kneecaps for players’ characters, toe beans, and even shoelaces..
Mineko’s Night Market is an upcoming cat-themed crafting adventure game that celebrates Japanese culture. The game is essentially about friendship, choices, and of course, cats. The indie game is being developed by Meowza Games, and being published by Humble Bundle. The game will be released on a multitude of different platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Macintosh operating systems.The exact release date for the game is yet to be determined. However, the game’s official Steam page says that the game will be release in 2020. Fingers (and paws) crossed! ?
Playing as Mineko, a girl who has moved to a superstitious fishing town inundated with cats, you will uncover secrets whilst assisting Mineko in becoming a successful young entrepreneur. This can be done by completing tasks, undertaking quests and gathering resources in preparation for the weekly night market.
Players can craft a variety of odd items, toys, and trinkets, which can then be sold to townsfolk (who are now your customers) at Mineko’s night market stall. After you’ve finished selling your items, you can explore the Night Market yourself, where you can play mini-games, eat unusual foods, and purchase collectibles.
The game allows you to explore distant lands by unlocking different types of transport (which include buses, bullet trains and cat carts). Each land offers new people to meet and unique things to do, dependent on the time of day and season.
There are 16 uniquely themed markets every year which all feature a stage event that you can partake in. Examples of events include Taiko drumming, karaoke competitions, sumo suit wrestling, and more!
The better you perform at the market, the bigger and better the market will become, which may well attract new townsfolk and even celebrity guests!
For more information regarding the game, check out this interview with one of the lead creators of the game here. You can also visit the game’s website here.
To bag some awesome game merchandise, click here.
Ooblets is now out on Xbox One and PC – more info right here.
Ooblets is an upcoming indie game that combines features of popular game franchises such as Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon and Pokemon. Initially, the game was going to be published by Double Fine. Ooblets will now however be developed and self-published by the game’s two main devs, who created a tiny game studio called Glumberland in order to do this.
According to the game’s latest Devlog, Ooblets will release this year, although no definitive date has been specified. It has also been confirmed that the game will release on PC and Xbox One. The price of the game has not yet been revealed.
Ooblets is essentially a game where players have to balance farm life, town life, and the unexpected pressure of having to deal with numerous different Ooblets. On the plus side, you get the experience of helping to grow and train your ooblets, explore strange lands, and have dance-offs!
Lots of awesome Ooblets merchandise can be grabbed here.
For more information about Ooblets, you can visit the Ooblets website here where developers regularly post updates in their devlogs. You can also follow Ooblets on Twitter and Facebook.
Rolling Hills is a life sim game where players run their own sushi restaurant in a town filled with anthropomorphic animals. The game is being both developed and published by Catch & Release, LLC. No definitive release date has been given, but developers are pushing for a 2020 release. It willl initially only be released on PC via Steam, but there is the possibility of the game being released on other consoles also.
Rolling Hills is a life sim game where you get given your very own sushi restauraunt in a small village. This restaurant has been offered for free by inhabitants of the village. The only catch is that you help to rebuild their town. Players will have their work cut out. When not occupied with the sushi shop, you also need to rebuild the town as promised and improve the lives of your neighbours. On the plus side, you’ll make friends along the way. If you’re lucky, you’ll also attract some new villagers.
Make your restaurant successful by collecting different recipes and buying ingredients. You can then use your profits to profit the town. Watch your town improve and better the lives of townsfolk, customers and yourself through the actions you make.
You can follow the progress of Rolling hills on Twitter here.
Hokko Life is an upcoming cute and cozy village life simulation game. The game is being both developed and published by indie game developer Robert Tatnell. Hokko life will be released for PC via Steam at some point this year. The cost of the game is not yet known.
Hokko Life begins with your player stepping off of a train. Having taken over your very own (albeit a little dusty and old) workshop, you are free to craft and create to your heart’s content.
The quiet village which you now call home needs your expertise. Help tocreate an endearing town for those who live there. Armed with paint and tools, design, build and decorate new homes for your new friends.
Players are able to craft materials and combine them however they wish. This allows you to create new and amazing furniture and items for the town. By collecting flowers and mixing paints, you can then use them to design wallpapers, flooring and even clothing.
With plenty of choice, you could design a bright flowery wallpaper set, or instead opt to create an urban-industrial furniture collection. Whatever your taste, with a workshop at hand, you have complete freedom when designing a town for the villagers.
Click here to check out an exclusive interview with the game’s solo developer.
You can visit the game’s website here.
Developed by Peachy Keen Games and published by Whitethorn Digital. Calico is a magical, relaxed and family-friendly simulation game where players are given an opportunity to run their very own cat cafe. The game is expected to be released on Steam at some point during Summer 2020. The game will most likely release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and MacOS shortly afterwards.
Calico came about due to the game developer’s obsession with cats, magical girls and fluffy animals. However, wanting to create a game that would appeal to everyone, she also included creatures such as lizards, birds, deer, raccoons, dogs, turtles, red pandas, foxes, etc.
She then shares about how she wanted to publish a game that would make players feel ‘soft, happy, cuddly and cozy’. If that wasn’t wholesome enough, she has said in an interview that she just wanted to create a game where the only goal is to have the best time possble.
However, simply running the cat cafe is not the only things that players can do. The game also incorporates enjoyable aspects from other popular gaming franchises such as Animal Crossing. Similarities between Calico and Animal Crossing include the simulation aspects of both games, and the ability to place furnitire and decorations in your buildings. A perk about Calico however, is that the animals will not leave, the shop never closes, and crops never die.
Little Witch in The Woods is an upcoming life simulation RPG. The game is currently in development by Sunny Side Up Games. No official release date has been given, but the developers are aiming for fall of 2020. They plan to release the game on Steam, and are hoping to release the game on Nintendo Switch and PS4.
Little Witch in the Woods is an adorable fantasy RPG. You play as a super cute witch named Ellie. Close to graduating from witch school and becoming true witch, Ellie must experience the life of a witch as an apprentice. This involves moving to a new town and living in a witch’s house in a forest. Upon arriving to the town however, she is inevitably disappointed to find the in a state of disrepair, and a town which is virtually empty.
As the school is grading how well Ellie completes various tasks, she must explore the mysterious and magical region to gather the ingredients necessary for her potions. These potions can be used in other ways in the game too. Many of the ingredients can be acquired from obliging plants and creatures. The more rare ingredients can be obtained in the nearby village, where a curious bunch of NPC’s reside. By helping them out, they will reward you with ingredients, and some useful items as well.
Additionally, lending these characters a hand improves your relationship with them, and allows you to upgrade the small village. The game’s NPC’s, each with their own stories can sometimes move in or out of the village. It is possible to date these NPC’s, but they may not be human..
Check out an interview with the game’s developers here. You can follow the developers on Twitter here.
For more witch-y games, check out these ones.
You can also check out these upcoming magic school games and add them to your calendar.
Alchemic Cutie is a wholesome pixel-art-stylised RPG set on a colourful Island named Wimba, where you players can tame wild jellies. The game is in development by Vakio and Viridian Software, and will be published by CIRCLE Entertainment this summer. Alchemic Cutie will be released on itch.io. and Steam. A price has not yet been announced.
Set on Wimba island, players get to tame slime-like creatures called Jellies. There are over 4,000 visual styles for jellies, each with unique traits and statistics. Players will have to meet the needs of their Jellies, which inlcude hunger, energy and happiness. Raise the perfect jelly companions and you may be in with a chance of claiming the top prize in one of the game’s eight competitions. In order to improve your jelly’s abilities, you can use alchemy in order to create special items with various powerful affects or to change items into something more rare and powerful. When you’re all jellied out, you can explore the island and uncover its secrets. In the village you can chat with its inhabitants and choose whether to form friends, or if you’re so inclined, rivals.
If you would like to receive updates regarding the gaem, or share your modding creations after the game’s release, you can do so by signing up to the game’s ‘Cutie Club’ here.
Peaceful Days is a farming RPG simulation game reminiscent of Harvest Moon games. The indie game is being developed by Nhat Nguyen and published by Nhat Nguyen and Huiyin Studio. According to the game’s Steam page, Peaceful days is set to release for Microsoft Windows on August 31st 2020. It is currently priced at £7.19.
Heavily inspired by the Harvest Moon series, Peaceful Days is a farming simulation set in the attractive Aurora Town, which is located by the sea. Living up to its title, the game appears to be peaceful and wholesome. Players have the freedom of character customisation and farm customisation too! Players can build friendships with the town’s inhabitants, become an important addition to the small seaside town, and participate in a variety of interesting festivals. Additionally you are able to build your very own farm from scratch. In your spare time, you are free to discover fish that you have not yet caught, spend time in the mine to discover ores necessary to upgrade your tools, play minigames, solve puzzles plus more.
As of February 3rd, an early access version of Peaceful Days became available on Steam.
Mar 18, 2020Indie Highlight
Earlier this year, My Potato Games posted an article about the exciting upcoming action-adventure RPG that is Baldo. The developers of Baldo are an Italian indie games studio (NAPS Team) consisting of just two people. Busy working on the game, the small studio weren’t able to post frequent updates. Some people were frustrated by this, and some forgot all about the game. However, NAPS Team hadn’t forgotten about us. It was a pleasant surprise to see gameplay footage of Baldo in yesterday’s (17/03/20) Nintendo Switch Indie World Showcase, where Baldo was easily the highlight. But that’s not the most exciting part. We now have a release window of August 2020, when the game will be released digitally as a Nintendo Switch Timed Exclusive (essentially meaning that it will be a limited edition game).
Baldo is a Zelda-inspired action-adventure RPG game with a cel-shaded art style. Many people have compared the game’s art style and vibes to that of Studio Ghibli and Ni No Kuni.
There isn’t a huge amount of information about Baldo available. However, the following Nintendo announcement trailer, shows that in-game action is top-down, but that the game’s pseudo-realistic backgrounds are 3D.
The description beneath the game’s announcement trailer says the following:
‘The prophecy came true, the pure child is born. The no heart creature sealed in the underworld by the wise owls is about to rise again. The game is set in the world of Rodia, a journey into a magical land full of mysteries to discover. Baldo is an action adventure rpg, full of puzzles and intricate dungeons to solve. Traveling around the world, Baldo will interact with many weird and funny characters scattered everywhere, to complete the main story quest and many other side quests. You’ll travel into an open world map discovering new towns and people, fighting enemies, locating hidden temples and collecting objects to get new weapons or items to use.’
In yesterday’s Baldo trailer, we got a short summary from the game’s actual art director of what Baldo is all about. With NAPS Team “Being fans of all great action-adventure RPG’s and of iconic Japanese anime”, they had always had a “dream to create something that unified those two things”. The Indie studio “wanted a game that would be a journey to a magical world full of fantastic characters, complex dungeons to face and puzzles to solve”.
The cost of the game has not yet been announced, but will likely be specified on the game’s Nintendo page in due course.
Feb 29, 2020Feature
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is bound to be the top of every Nintendo Switch owner’s game wishlist this month. However, here are four other great games that are also coming to the console this month.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake of the 2005 matched pair of Pokémon games Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team. The remake will release on Nintendo Switch on March 6th, and will be available to purchase as both a digital or physical copy for USD$59.99.
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, you will wake up in a village as a Pokémon including the likes of Pikachi, Eevee, and Charmander. Whilst getting to explore a magnificent reimagined world, your objective is to solve a strange predicament and build a rescue team to find and rescue lost Pokémon from a variety of dangerous dungeons. The game can be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop for USD$59.99 or purchased as a physical copy.
Half Past Fate is an upcoming 3D Pixel-art-stylised rom-com adventure game developed by Serenity Forge and set to be published by Way Down Deep. The game is set to release on March 12th 2020 on a variety of platforms.
In the game, you follow the lives of 6 different individuals who find each other in unusual ways. Half Past Fate is described as a time-jumping saga, from eight days to eight years, that will change how you feel about fate forever. The game will release on a variety of platforms including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and of course, Nintendo Switch, where it can be downloaded for USD$19.99.
A Street Cat’s Tale is an emotional pixel-art-stylised adventure game about the survival of a stray kitten. The game is both developed and published by feemodev, and was first released on PC and Mobile last year in 2019. The game will be published and available to download on the Nintendo Switch eShop by CFK for USD$7.99 on March 12th 2020.
A Street Cat’s tale is a game where you play as an orphaned kitten. The aim of the game is to survive thirteen days as a kitten on the streets alone, after the tragic death of your mother. In the game, you will have to find your own food (which can be healthy or unhealthy and affect your health) and forge relationships with other animals and humans. But beware, not all of the NPC’s you encounter will be nice. Will the poor little kitten survive? And will it end up continuing to roam the streets, or find a loving home?
Cooking Mama: Cookstar is the sixth mainline game of the cookery simulation-styled Cooking Mama series. Whilst a specific release date has not been announced, the game is set to release on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 at some point in March 2020.
Cooking Mama: Cookstar is the first ever HD Cooking Mama game. It is also the first Cooking Mama game to release on a platform besides Nintendo or mobile. The game has been praised by PETA for featuring a vegetarian mode. screenshots of the game were first leaked back in August of 2019.
Jan 31, 2020Feature
It was recently announced that many Studio Ghibli movies would be making their way to Netflix in many countries worldwide. Naturally, US Ghibli fans felt rather disappointed upon learning that the US would not be receiving the popular anime movies on Netflix. So whether you’re celebrating this news, or are looking for something to fill the totoro-sized void inside, here are five fantastic video games that Ghibli fans will enjoy.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered is an anime adventure RPG developed by Level-5 and published by Bandai Namco.
The game’s animated sequences were produced by Studio Ghibli
The game is a remastered version of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. The original game was initially released in Japan for PlayStation 3 in November 2011. It was then later released worldwide in early 2013.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered was released on September 20th, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Windows and Nintendo Switch.
The game follows young Oliver who is on a quest to bring back his mother, who died shortly after saving him from drowning.
The remastered version contains the same captivating story, dynamic combat, quests, secrets and variety of creatures and places to explore. However, with the bonus of improved graphics and performance.
The charming anime RPG has received positive reviews, including a 9/10 rating on Steam and an 86% rating on Metacritic.
No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is an anime adventure RPG developed by Level-5 and published by Bandai Namco. The game is a sequel to Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.
In the game, the player follows young king Evan on a quest to found a new kingdom. Accompanied by some newly made friends, the king attempts to save his people from a terrible evil.
Ni no Kuni II features RPG elements and dozens of creatures to battle, or befriend. The game also has hundreds of locations for the players to explore. Additionally, the game contains plenty of quests to undertake.
Ni No Kuni II was released on March 23rd, 2018 for Windows and Playstation. Since its release, the game received positive reviews and currently holds a 9/10 rating on Steam.
Currently in development by Naps Team, Baldo is an upcoming action-adventure coming to Switch, amongst other platforms. The Zelda-inspired game has a cel-shaded art style, which is comparable to that of Studio Ghibli and Ni No Kuni.
There isn’t a lot of information available about Baldo. However, the following Nintendo announcement trailer, shows that in-game action is top-down, but that the game’s pseudo-realistic backgrounds are 3D.
From the trailer, it looks like players encounter a variety of characters and monsters. Additionally, it appears that dungeon-crawling, puzzle-solving and exploration all feature in the game.
Baldo will release on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.
A release date for the game is still TBA.
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time is an action adventure RPG game. The game was initially released in Japan for PS4 on the 30th November 2017. In early 2018, it was announced that the release of the game’s PC version would coincide with it’s PS4 release in the west.
The game was finally published worldwide on Steam and PS4 by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment on May 15th 2018. The game costs $49.99 to download on the PlayStation Store and $39.99 on Steam.
Chamber of Time offers players the ability to uncover the various mysteries of Luna Nova Academy. The game features the lovable protagonist Akko, as well as a variety of her friends. Players can explore dungeons, cast spells and use various magic to discover the seven wonders, as well as to resolve the mysterious time-shift that has occurred.
For more information on the game, click here.
Undertale is a story-rich RPG by tobyfox with ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ reviews. Described as ‘The RPG where you don’t have to destroy anyone’, Undertale is story-rich due to your character’s journey, and also due to player choices affecting the game. You play as a human child who has fallen underground into the realm of monsters and thus, tries to find their way home. You encounter both good monsters and bad along the way, which you can choose to spare or fight. There are a variety of puzzles to complete in order to progress, and a variety of interesting areas to explore.
Nov 13, 2019Indie Highlight
As you know, I have been keeping an eye on Village Monsters for some time now. It is a relaxing and whimsical adventure game developed by sole creator, Josh Bossie. Take on the role of the last man living in a world inhabited by monsters. With everything that you’d expect from a good life-sim game, with a monstrous twist, Village Monsters is one adventure that you won’t want to miss out on.
For more information about Village Monsters, as well as the chance to purchase the game, check it out on Steam. Tune in on Twitter and Discord if you’d like updates on the games progress, as it is currently in early access.
Nov 11, 2019Indie Highlight
The games starts with some very relaxing music, and an environment that inspires the desire to explore. Upon taking your first steps, you can already tell that you are set on a curious and whimsical adventure, with much to see and do. You play as a curious, young red-headed girl who is beset on befriending all the local wildlife. This happy heroine with an abundance of pheomelanin is ready to become on with nature, and it is up to us to help her do it.
To make friends on this expansive island, one must simply gather the materials required to make each animal happy. It is a very simple process that is as relaxing as it is rewarding. The little heart that pops up lets you know that you’ve made an adorable new friend, and may go about the process of wooing others.
The gameplay is lacking a little bit of fluidity in movement, which is to be expected from an early build. This did not prevent me from enjoying my time looking around the island for things to interact with. The developers mention adding new features and other things to make the game funnier and more immersive. I definitely see a lot of potential here for a great zen exploration game.
The game is currently available to play in its early stages, and you can check it out for yourself on itch.io. For up to date information on changes and additions to Wild Child, be sure to follow the developers on Twitter. For more games that feature a mutation of the MC1R gene, check out my coverage of Ayo The Clown!